4 May 2004

Zoellick: formal U.S./Australia FTA signing set for May 18

The following article is excerpted from “American Shipper” on 4 May 2004.

[The US} chief trade negotiator Robert Zoellick said the United States and Australia will formerly sign a free-trade agreement May 18.

Zoellick and his Australian counterpart concluded the text of the agreement Feb. 8.

In 2002, Australia was the United States' 13th-largest single-country export market for goods. Two-way annual goods and service is about $28 billion. Australia is a key export market for American-made planes, autos and auto parts, chemicals and wood and paper products.

… [P]owerful agricultural lobbies representing American beef, dairy and sugar products successfully convinced the Bush administration to maintain traditional trade protections for their products in the agreement.